Container for food products

Abstract

The invention provides a container for viscous dressing products that includes a jar and a closure or lid. The lid may be hingedly attached to the container so as to remain attached to the jar after opening. The container provides protection for the viscous dressing product during packaging, shipping, handling, retail display and consumer use, and also makes the viscous dressing readily accessible to the consumer. The container preferably includes a shelf or wiper on the closure to permit the consumer to swipe a serving utensil on the shelf to remove excess viscous dressing product from the utensil. The jar is preferably provided with improved handling characteristics as compared with prior art jars of circular cross section. In the preferred embodiments, the shape of the jar as viewed in plan is generally oval.

We claim:  
     
       1. A container capable of receiving a food product and which facilitates the removal of the food product for consumption, the container comprising: 
       a bottom wall;  
       a pair of sidewalls having flat lower portions,  
       each sidewall having a brow ridge protruding near the top of the sidewall, the brow ridge being curved upward between its ends;  
       a pair of end walls, the bottom, sidewalls and end walls forming an interior of the container; and  
       a hinged lid;  
       the side walls and end walls being stepped or flared outward near their upper ends to form an upper end flared portion which has an enlarged internal volume and which flared portion has at least one peripheral circumference which is greater than the peripheral circumference of the bottom wall, upper end flared portion terminating in a top lip and defining a top opening in the container, the flared portion effective for providing access and removal of food;  
       a wiper edge in the upper end flared portion extending inwardly into the interior of the container such that the wiper blade overhangs the interior of the container, the wiper blade in a plane which is over and parallel to the bottom wall; and  
       a snap lock effective for holding the lid over the top opening;  
       wherein the sidewalls are generally flat and the end walls generally semicircular, and wherein said hinged lid is effective for covering the top opening.  
     
     
       2. A container in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said brow ridge is curved over its entire length to define a recess for stably engaging the thumb of a user. 
     
     
       3. A container in accordance with  claim 2  wherein said ridge is crescent shaped. 
     
     
       4. A container in accordance with  claim 3  wherein said end walls are flared outward over the top 20% to 30%. 
     
     
       5. A container in accordance with  claim 4  wherein said side walls are flared outward over the top 15% to 30%. 
     
     
       6. A container in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said container further includes a textured area beneath and adjacent to the ridge. 
     
     
       7. A container in accordance with  claim 6  wherein the container is capable of being held securely in one hand, with the thumb under the ridge of one sidewall, and fingers engaging the opposite sidewall. 
     
     
       8. A container in accordance with  claim 7  wherein the upper periphery of the container presents gently curved concave surfaces with large radii of curvature to engage the thumb and fingers of the user. 
     
     
       9. A container in accordance with  claim 8  wherein the brow ridge is angled outward and upward from a lower portion of the sidewall. 
     
     
       10. A retail food product and container comprising: 
       a quantity of a food product; and  
       a hermetically sealed container capable of receiving the food product in high speed commercial filing operations, comprising a bottom wall, a pair of sidewalls having flat lower portions, each sidewall having a brow ridge protruding near the top to the sidewall, a pair of end walls, and a hinged lid, the bottom, sidewalls and end walls forming an interior of the container, the brow ridge being curved upward between its ends;  
       the side walls and end walls being stepped or flared outward near their upper ends to form an upper end flared portion which has an enlarged internal volume and which flared portion has at least one peripheral circumference which is greater than the peripheral circumference of the bottom wall, the upper end flared portion terminating in a top lip and defining a top opening in the container, the flared portion effective for providing access and removal of food;  
       a wiper edge in the upper end flared portion extending inwardly into the interior of the container such that the wiper blade overhangs the interior of the container;  
       a snap lock effective for holding the lid over the top opening; and  
       wherein the sidewalls are generally flat and the end walls generally semicircular, and wherein said hinged lid is effective for covering the top opening.  
     
     
       11. A container in accordance with  claim 10  wherein said brow ridge is curved over its entire length to define a recess for stably engaging the thumb of a user. 
     
     
       12. A container in accordance with  claim 11  wherein said ridge is crescent shaped. 
     
     
       13. A container in accordance with  claim 12  wherein said end walls are flared outward over the top 20% to 30%. 
     
     
       14. A container in accordance with  claim 13  wherein said side walls are flared outward over the top 15% to 30%. 
     
     
       15. A container in accordance with  claim 14  wherein said container further includes a textured area beneath and adjacent to the ridge. 
     
     
       16. A container in accordance with  claim 15  wherein the container is capable of being held securely in one hand, with the tumb under the ridge of one sidewall, and fingers engaging the opposite sidewall. 
     
     
       17. A container in accordance with  claim 16  wherein the food product is mayonnaise. 
     
     
       18. A container in accordance with  claim 17  wherein the upper periphery of the container presents gently curved concave surfaces with large radii of curvature to engage the thumb and fingers of the user. 
     
     
       19. A container in accordance with  claim 18  wherein the brow ridge is angled outward and upward from a lower portion of the sidewall. 
     
     
       20. A container capable of receiving a food product and which facilitates the removal of the food product for consumption, the container comprising: 
       an oval shaped bottom wall;  
       a pair of generally flat sidewalls effective for having a label applied thereon;  
       at least one sidewall having a crescent shaped brow ridge defined by a recess in the side wall, the brow ridge protruding near the top of the sidewall, the at least one brow ridges being curved upward between its ends;  
       a pair of semi-circular shaped end walls which are smaller in area than the side walls, the bottom, sidewalls and end walls forming an interior of the container; and  
       a hinged lid;  
       the side walls and end walls being stepped or flared outward near their upper ends to form an upper end flared portion of the container which upper end flared portion has at least one peripheral circumference which is greater than the peripheral circumference of the bottom wall, the upper end flared portion terminating in an oval shaped top lip which defines a top opening in the container, the flared portion effective for providing access and removal of food, the hinged lid effective for covering the top opening;  
       a wiper edge in the upper end flared portion extending inwardly into the interior of the container; and  
       a snap lock effective for holding the lid over the top opening.  
     
     
       21. A container in accordance with  claim 20  wherein the lid includes the wiper edge. 
     
     
       22. A container in accordance with  claim 21  wherein the wiper edge is perpendicular to the hinge. 
     
     
       23. A container capable of receiving a food product and which facilitates the removal of the food product for consumption, the container comprising: 
       a bottom wall;  
       a pair of sidewalls having flat lower portions,  
       each sidewall having a crescent shaped brow ridge defined by a recess in each sidewall, the brow ridges protruding near the top of the sidewalls, the brow rides being curved upward between their ends;  
       a pair of end walls, the bottom, sidewalls and end walls forming an interior of the container,  
       the side walls and end walls being stepped or flared outward near their upper ends to form an upper end flared portion which has an enlarged internal volume and which flared portion has at least one peripheral circumference which is greater than the peripheral circumference of the bottom wall, the upper end flared portion terminating in a top lip and defining a top opening in the container, the flared portion effective for providing access and removal of food;  
       a detachable closure assembly which is detachably engageable with the upper end flared portion of the sidewalls and end walls, the closure assembly including a closure body, a snap lock and a hinged lid, the closure body having a wiper edge extending inwardly into the interior of the container such that the wiper blade overhangs the interior of the container, the snap lock effective for holding the lid to the closure body over the top opening;  
       said brow ridge being curved upward between its ends;  
       wherein the sidewalls are generally flat and the end walls generally semicircular, and wherein said hinged lid is effective for covering the top opening.  
     
     
       24. A container in accordance with  claim 23  wherein the wiper edge is perpendicular to the hinge.